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Our Purpose

How we Discerned our Purpose - Appreciative Inquiry

We present here the results of a process begun in July, 2008 to help us define how we understand God; what we value about our church and life here in Oregon; and what we believe God is calling our diocese to become. The results reflect a thoughtful synthesis of our hopes and dreams for our diocese and those qualities we’d like to see in our next bishop.

Starting in summer of 2008, ninety clergy and lay leaders met to evaluate the state of the diocese and to dream about its future. These deliberations were framed by the Appreciative Inquiry method of evaluation and discussion and centered on the following questions.

• How is God understood in the Diocese?

• What is the Diocese’s purpose?

• What is the Diocese’s role or mission?

• What are the Diocese’s core values?

• What do we value about the Episcopal Church?

• What do we value about living in Oregon?

• What kind of Diocese do we want to become? (Our hopes and wishes.)

Similar discussions took place at Convocation meetings throughout the diocese in the Fall of 2008. Then, at the Diocesan Convention in November 2008, 465 clergy and lay delegates took part in extensive discussions around the questions stated above and generated a series of metaphors for our ideal diocese. Finally, in January 2009, the Search Committee, the Transition Committee and the Diocesan Standing Committee held a two-day retreat to refine the results of all the discussions. At this retreat, the combined committees developed a shared understanding of the purpose and mission of the Diocese of Oregon.

Our Understanding of God

In the Diocese of Oregon we experience the joy and immanence of God in the beauty of nature as much as in the life of the institutional church. We see God existing in and extending into all parts of the created universe. We understand and experience God:

• As the Source of creation in all its diversity.

• As the Son who is present when we reach out to those in need and when we enter into the struggles and ambiguity of our common humanity.

• As the Spirit who gives us our individual gifts and our yearning for community.

The Holy Trinity unites us and is present with us in our common liturgy and our lives.

 

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The Purpose of the Diocese of Oregon

Our purpose is to joyfully nourish the minds, bodies and souls of the people of Western Oregon as we give witness to God’s reign. We do this:

• Grounded in the Anglican tradition, expressing a broad spectrum of sacramental life.

• Through intellectual enquiry.

• By providing tangible support to those in need in Oregon and beyond.

• By connecting and embracing our unique gifts.

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The Mission of the Diocese of Oregon

Our mission is to proclaim God’s love in the best way we know how. This includes being the hands, feet and voice of Jesus as we:

• Share the sacraments.

• Feed the hungry; house the homeless; clothe the poor.

• Help people put their lives back together; comfort the lonely and stressed.

• Advocate for peace and justice when and wherever possible.

• Visit prisoners and shut-ins.

• Teach, nurture and heal.

• Take delight in and create a diverse community.

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The Core Values of the Diocese of Oregon

People in Oregon pride themselves on being independent. After considerable discussion, we agreed that the things we valued the most are:

• Love of Anglican traditions, liturgy, and practice.

• Respect and need for intellectual inquiry and integrity.

• Independence of mind and spirit.

• Incarnational theology.

• Tolerance as a people and appreciation for all forms of diversity.

• Care for God’s creation.

• Commitment to social justice and service to others.

• Need for open and honest communication.

• A sense of humor.
  

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The Core Values of the People of Oregon

Consistent with their independence, Oregonians express a lot of variety in their core values. How-ever, there is relative consensus around the following values:

• The importance of natural beauty and the proximity of nature.

• Our care for the environment.

• Our independence and quirkiness.

• The importance of water in our lives – the ocean, rivers, lakes, the rain – and the nourish-ment it provides.

• Progressive thinking.

• Sustainability and “green” living.

• A pioneer spirit.

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What sort of Diocese do we want to become?

When we envisioned the Diocese of Oregon in the future, we dreamed of a diocese that is accepting and nourishing; a diocese of renewal and growth; a diocese with a special focus on youth and young families; a diocese grounded in Anglican worship; a diocese connected to the wider church and the world; a diocese where we honor and respect our differences.

When we responded to the question “what do we want more of?” Here are some of the responses:

• More joy.

• More collegiality among clergy.

• More young people in our churches.

• More creative worship.

• More evangelism.

• More use of our buildings by the community.

• More networking on social justice issues.

When we considered the broader discussion about the future of the Diocese of Oregon, we agreed that our more general goals are to ensure that:

• All congregations – serving small and large; rural, suburban and urban; and emerging ethnic communities – feel valued and cherished as vital members of one shared ministry.

• The Bishop and the diocesan leadership are actively guiding a process of ministry, training and empowerment that is available to all clergy and laity.

• Our gatherings and conversations are filled with joy and mutual celebration of the good things we are building together, with God’s help.

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